Crunchy wild rice salad with blackberry dressing

Prepare the wild rice up to 2 days in advance to make quick work of this gorgeous salad. A perfect accompaniment to any grilled or roasted meat, also a lovely side in a packed lunch. Serve warm or cold.

Ingredients

• ½ cup (125 mL) wild rice
• 2 cups (500 mL) water
• ½ cup (125 mL) celery, diced
• ½ cup (125 mL) cucumber, diced
• ¼ cup (50 mL) green onion, chopped
• ½ cup (125 mL) fresh or frozen blackberries, divided
• 3 tbsp (45 mL) red wine vinegar
• 1 ½ tbsp (22 mL) canola oil
• 2 tsp (10 mL) granulated sugar
• ¼ tsp (1 mL) freshly ground pepper
• ¼ cup (50 mL) toasted pecans, chopped

Directions

1. In a large saucepan, combine rice and water. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 45-60 minutes, until grains have started to pop. Remove from heat with lid still on and allow to stand for 30-60 minutes until desired texture is achieved. Drain and cool.
2. In a large bowl, combine rice, celery, cucumber and green onion.
3. Prepare dressing: Whisk well or use blender to combine ¼ cup (50 mL) of the blackberries, red wine vinegar, canola oil, sugar and pepper.
4. When ready to serve, in a large bowl or individual plates, place rice mixture on bottom, sprinkle with remaining ¼ cup (50 mL) blackberries, pecans and drizzle attractively with dressing.

Nutritional info per serving (1 cup/250 ml)

• Calories 130
• Protein 3 g
• Total Fat 7 g
  Saturated Fat 0.5 g
  Cholesterol 0 mg
• Carbohydrates 16 g
  Fibre 2 g
  Total sugars 3 g
  Added sugar 1 g
• Sodium 10 mg
• Potassium 135 mg